I have been looking at a 99 U320 listed at $64,500 that is at MOT and has been there for a while. Is anyone familiar with this coach? Wondering if there is an issue with it that is keeping it from selling.
I'm not familiar with the coach, but it looks nice and the price seems to be reasonable.
The floor plan seems to be a little unusual, and I wonder if that's a factor in it not yet being sold.
Pretty small galley, and no stove? That wouldn't fly here at all.
I sent you a PM. If you are new to Motorhomes, MOT and FOT are dependable folks with whom you can do business but do an inspection. Many or most coaches are on consignment so prices are not necessarily set by the dealer.
But these dealers know the value. Anything priced quite a bit cheaper than you think it would be, and thus is an unbelievable find, really almost always means that some work is needed on a coach. Figure out what is needed and if you can save some serious coach bucks by buying at low price and doing the needed work.
Not to say this coach is this or that but to assure you that dealers know the values and try to price them accordingly. IMHO
Mike
If you read the specs there is a 2 burner stove. It is a bit of an odd layout but I kinda like it.
I hardly see any with a stove most just a two burner cook top like this one. Being boaters for years I like this kitchen(galley)set up. My old rv I had for over 12 years and never used the stove once. We used the cook top a few times just to boil water. We camp and spend almost all time outside including cooking. We pretty much just sleep in the rv. Personally I think for a non slide 1999 the price is in the ball park. On edit nada has it listed for low retail 40,200 and average retail 48,430
Tropikat,
People on this forum can be the BEST source of Foretravel info and expertise you will ever find. You are asking your questions in the right place.
You may find forum members are careful not to offer strong opinions about this coach. This is because the purchase of a motorhome is such a personal decision. They do not want to discourage you by criticizing, or overly encourage you by praising, because YOU are the person who must decide what is important.
Some members will find the layout "odd", others will like it. Floor plans are VERY subjective! Some people like lots of seating in the living area, some (my wife, for instance) prefer a large galley with lots of pantry storage, some like a big bathroom with lots of closet space. Layout is all about compromise - to gain space in one area you lose it in another. If you like this layout, and it works for your traveling partner (if any), then that's all that matters.
MOT is very good at advertising - their photos show off the coach very nicely. What the photos cannot show is the mechanical condition and maintenance history of the coach. To determine that, you have to inspect the coach in person (ideally), or have it inspected by someone you trust. That can be the salesman at MOT, or a impartial 3rd party - up to you. But it must be done! You can't decide if this coach is a "Good Deal" until you determine the mechanical condition. People aren't kidding when they say to be prepared to spend a bundle of cash right after you buy the coach! The most beautiful coach in the world could turn out to be a bottomless money pit. Best to know about the potential problems BEFORE you buy.
I think this is what Michael was telling you. The asking price on this coach SEEMS a little low for the year, model and apparent condition. I'm not talking about NADA prices (which are useless IMHO) - I'm talking about what people really end up paying in the real world. He is just telling you to tread carefully, and be sure you understand exactly what is being offered for that price. If there is any way you can view the coach in person - do it. Once you have seen and driven the coach, then you can ask specific questions on the forum. "What will it cost to replace this (item)?" "This (system) is not functioning properly - how do I fix it?" This is where the forum excels! The members as a group have seen it all, and done it all. They LOVE helping out new owners!
Good luck with your search. I hope you find your dream coach soon.
Chuck
The flooring might need attention. Heavy stains in front of the couch. Is that purple carpet in the driver's seat pic? Kitchen/hall has two different colors of wood?
Pictures rarely show the wear and tear on a coach. I like to ask the seller "What doesn't look like new?"
You must add every single piece of equipment to the base prices. Just the way the banks do these.
Actually, you must add every single piece of OPTIONAL equipment to the base price.
No picture of the generator..
X2 and you would be adding pennies to the dollar.
That might be our coach that you are referring to....it should not need anything, had new tires, batteries, all service...maybe we priced it too low, as we were trying to buy a house in tx with cash...if is the one you were referring to, yes it has a stove etc, no stains on the carpet..call 832 498 2177 with questions....just had our neighbor unable to sell his house at 320, raised the price to 395 and sold it....we may have to try that with our bus....
My sales manager buddy who sells used high lines at quartzite every year said every piece of equipement. Two airs, gen.....
He says Essex accepts it that way. Probably easier to finance if the book numbers show higher?
Apparently the bank will accept the figures higher
Actually, I was about to post asking for info, on our coach....I also thought the price was low , but have relied on mot for their expertise....my wife and I are about to pick it up and keep it....it is good to hear other opinions bolstering our own feelings.....ther were no problems with anything when mot took it in, no issues with flooring stains , etc...the right side of the galley under the micro folds up and reveals the stove....no other bus I have seen has the dedicated desk, which I love, and the walk in galley is more functional than any I have seen....I have personally experienced the phenomena of low price making me wonder what's wrong, and now apparently we have done it to ourselves......mot had a sistership that had the same floor plan and said it was the best one produced.....anyway this forum is great, and invaluable at times..
Dave & Wendy,
Don't worry about the fact your coach didn't sell. Sometimes it's not the price so much as the timing. You just have to hit that sweet spot in time where the person who "wants" your coach is also the person who can "afford" your coach. Then, you have to get the potential buyers together with the coach, which can be another problem if they live halfway across the country. Sometimes it works out - sometimes it doesn't.
Sounds like you have decided to keep it. I think that's great! If you have a coach you like, and the layout works for you, and it is mechanically sound, then to me that is a keeper. I hope you guys can work it out where you can buy the new house without selling the coach, then you'll have the best of both worlds. Good Luck!
I think what you are looking at is a illusion. You are probably referring to picture #12 that is the dinette table making it look like that. You can even see the table wood extending onto the carpet. I don't know I like the coach especially for the galley with our limited cooking and plenty of seating. Take away the consignment fees and a little negotiation and your looking at maybe 55,000 + or - a little.
For what it's worth, I really liked the layout of your coach based on the pictures at MOT, especially the desk. Sadly, though, the boss says we won't be ready to buy for another two years or so. :-(
Change jobs? Just kidding!!!!!!
I finally just looked at the MOT listing for this coach and I have to say - I love this layout. Love all the seating up front - this would be great for a family like ours. Really like the separate potty room - again, good for >2 people when traveling. Looks like a great coach to me, and if it needed nothing - the price was really good.
My thoughts exactly. My wife wants a slide though.
If I were to buy another coach it would have no slides. The 99 we gad with no slides was our favorite.
I should have you talk to my wife. :D I've seen some well done no-slide layouts that seem just as roomy as those with slides. (This coach was one of them.) If I could convince my wife of that, there would be some older, high-end coaches we could consider that would fall into our expected budget when it comes time to buy.
Oh yes I have a desk and there were quite a few FTs with desks in the99 on up years. They were in different locations though.
Looks like MOT just listed another one yesterday. 1999 U270 for $67,500.00 looks like it has the same layout.
Well, we are still mulling it over, while it has been for sale, my wife and i got lucky after alot of hard work, and found a 2001 chinook, that had been garaged, plugged in for most of its life and had 4300 miles, well, we had to buy it as we can resell it tomorrow, for about plus 10k, and now find that it is like a mini foretravel in some ways, except that we can park at a restaurant and eat dinner etc.....Its good to hear the moral support...hopefully we can keep them both....The foretravel, especially the 99 is one of the better mechanical devices we have ever had, and my wife desperatly wants it back..really can not understand why it has not sold, but after walking thru PPL in houston the other day, i could see alot of lower end coaches with slides at very low prices, and can see how the uninformed could end up saying '" gee honey, 4 slides and only 75k" etc
Maybe this is some kind of divine providence trying to show us that we need to keep it.....
This site rocks...
I have a born free and a Foretravel. Might trade the BF off for a sprinter conversion.
Interesting, the born free was at the top of our list as well....have to say we really like the chinook, but we really love the Foretravel......for a period of months we just took the dog and the pickup, and stayed in a motel.....then started thinking about a b class...it's almost a must have for shorter two or three day trips that we do a lot of....of course for more than that the u320 shines.....time will tell. Glad we are not the only ones....
Gorgeous Coach! hope for your sake you don't have to sell it. Wish we could have afforded to bought one that nice at that price.
Can both of the couches in this layout fold out into beds? I'm trying hard to convince my wife on this layout. The one thing we agree on is that the desk is a waste for us. Can't come up with a idea to put in its place.
I cut my desk done and put the cutoff part on a hinge. The one thing about FT is you can remodel them with no problem.
the couches fold out and meet in the middle to create a large bed...cant remember if just one extends, or if both do,,,but the end result is a bed from window to window.....
"the couches fold out and meet in the middle to create a large bed"
Just like our Mid-Bath Lazy Daze!
best, paul
Never argue with divine providence. Keep the Foretravel!
Mike, here's what they look like in my 95. I would think the couch size in mine would be close to yours. We really like the two couch setup in our slideless 95, much better than the more common couch-table-recliner. Like you, I don't have much use for a desk. Just a matter of personal preference.
jor